Rolston John D, Gross Robert E, Potter Steve M
Laboratory for Neuroengineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta, GA, USA.
Front Neurosci. 2010 Sep 15;4. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2010.00031. eCollection 2010.
Multiple extracellular microelectrodes (multi-electrode arrays, or MEAs) effectively record rapidly varying neural signals, and can also be used for electrical stimulation. Multi-electrode recording can serve as artificial output (efferents) from a neural system, while complex spatially and temporally targeted stimulation can serve as artificial input (afferents) to the neuronal network. Multi-unit or local field potential (LFP) recordings can not only be used to control real world artifacts, such as prostheses, computers or robots, but can also trigger or alter subsequent stimulation. Real-time feedback stimulation may serve to modulate or normalize aberrant neural activity, to induce plasticity, or to serve as artificial sensory input. Despite promising closed-loop applications, commercial electrophysiology systems do not yet take advantage of the bidirectional capabilities of multi-electrodes, especially for use in freely moving animals. We addressed this lack of tools for closing the loop with NeuroRighter, an open-source system including recording hardware, stimulation hardware, and control software with a graphical user interface. The integrated system is capable of multi-electrode recording and simultaneous patterned microstimulation (triggered by recordings) with minimal stimulation artifact. The potential applications of closed-loop systems as research tools and clinical treatments are broad; we provide one example where epileptic activity recorded by a multi-electrode probe is used to trigger targeted stimulation, via that probe, to freely moving rodents.
多个细胞外微电极（多电极阵列，即MEA）能够有效地记录快速变化的神经信号，还可用于电刺激。多电极记录可作为神经系统的人工输出（传出神经），而复杂的时空靶向刺激可作为神经网络的人工输入（传入神经）。多单元或局部场电位（LFP）记录不仅可用于控制现实世界中的人造装置，如假肢、计算机或机器人，还能触发或改变后续刺激。实时反馈刺激可用于调节或使异常神经活动正常化、诱导可塑性或作为人工感觉输入。尽管闭环应用前景广阔，但商业电生理系统尚未利用多电极的双向功能，尤其是在自由活动动物中的应用。我们使用NeuroRighter解决了这种闭环工具的缺失问题，NeuroRighter是一个开源系统，包括记录硬件、刺激硬件以及带有图形用户界面的控制软件。该集成系统能够进行多电极记录，并能在刺激伪迹最小的情况下同时进行有图案的微刺激（由记录触发）。闭环系统作为研究工具和临床治疗手段的潜在应用广泛；我们提供了一个例子，即通过多电极探针记录癫痫活动，然后通过该探针触发对自由活动啮齿动物的靶向刺激。
